Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 4)—Senior forward Sean Rakers (New Baden, IL/Wesclin) (New Baden, Ill./Wesclin) collected a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead the McKendree University men's basketball team to a 71-55 victory Saturday night at home against MacMurray College.
 
Rakers scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half in notching his fourth double-double of the season. McKendree won for the fourth time in its last five games to improve to 15-10 on the year. The Bearcats will continue its three-game homestand on Friday by hosting Robert Morris University-Springfield.  Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
 
Saturday's win enabled McKendree to reach the 15-win mark for the 45^th consecutive year under the direction of head coach Harry Statham. The only time a Statham-coached team at McKendree failed to win at least 15 games was in Statham's rookie season of 1966-67, when the Bearcats went 13-10.
 
Sophomore guard Clinton Happe (Evansville, IN/F.J. Reitz) (Evansville, Ind./F.J. Reitz) came off the bench to score 13 points for the second straight game for McKendree, while senior guard Kyle Heckert (Venedy, IL/Okawville) (Venedy, Ill./Okawville) contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and a game-high six assists. Junior guard John Steppe (Effingham, IL/St. Anthony) (Effingham, Ill./St. Anthony) added 10 points against MacMurray, while junior forward David Ruckman (Freeburg, IL/Freeburg) (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg) narrowly missed a double-double of his own with nine points and nine rebounds.
 
McKendree jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first two minutes of play and eventually stretched the margin to as many as 11 points in the period. MacMurray (11-9) reeled off eight consecutive points to trim the deficit to 19-16 midway through the half. The Bearcats turned up the defensive pressure in the closing minutes of the period, holding the Highlanders without a point over the final 4:28 while extending its lead back to 33-25 at the intermission.
 
The Bearcats took control in the second half, shooting 53.3 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes of play. Much like the opening half, McKendree took control down the stretch, outscoring MacMurray 10-2 in the final 5:31 of the contest. The Highlanders were held without a field goal during that final spurt.
 
Clayton Whitlock scored a game-high 17 points and added three blocked shots to lead MacMurray. Brady Slagle and Luke Bishop each connected for 12 points in the effort for the Highlanders.
 
Saturday's game marked the first meeting between McKendree and MacMurray since the 1991-92 season. The Bearcats now hold a 10-5 edge in the all-time series with the Highlanders.